Meet The Man Behind Candace Owens: George Farmer
In the world of mainstream media, there are few names quite as polarizing as Candace Owens. During President Trump's administration, Owens rose to popularity as a YouTube pundit that garnered a large following for her conservative views. Over the years, her name is constantly in the headlines for her edgy political commentary and her high-profile feuds with the likes of Noah Cyrus and Cardi B. Despite those famous detractors, stars like Kanye West have politically aligned themselves with her.
Though Owens never shies away from controversial political views or a spicy debate, her private life has always been kept lowkey. Owens is currently married to British-born George Farmer. Despite his wife's career in the spotlight, Farmer has managed to keep a low profile over the years. The couple has a lot in common, including their conservative political views, but Farmer is a man who prefers to stay behind the scenes. Here's everything you need to know about the mystery man behind Owens.
He got his start in the world of business and politics
Upon graduating from Oxford University with a degree in Theology, George Farmer had a career in banking. From there, Farmer joined the hedge fund founded by his father, named Red Kite. The metals trading and investment firm is worth a reported $2 billion. Outside of his lengthy experience in business, Farmer began to make a name in politics. He was the former chairman of the rightwing student organization Turning Point UK, the UK branch of Turning Point USA, which his wife Candace Owens was previously the communications director of.
Farmer was outspoken in his support of the Brexit movement and was a former candidate for the party. He was previously a proud Tory and frequently held fundraisers for them before defecting from the party in 2019. Farmer told The Times he was "[the] most Tory boy around, and now I feel ashamed of what I was."
Farmer doesn't have any plans to be a political candidate again but wouldn't mind being the First Husband for an Owens presidency. "If she wants to run for president, I'll be standing right beside her," Farmer said.
Kanye West was in talks to buy his company
In 2021, George Farmer stepped in as CEO of the social media app Parler. The controversial app was previously removed from Apple's app store and Google Play due to content deemed hateful. Farmer's new role was meant to help rebrand the app after many pointed out its role in the January 6 insurrection. The Parler app later returned to the app store after restructuring its policy around hate content and illegal activity. Following his new role as CEO, Farmer was looking to change public perception of the app and help it grow. "My goal is to provide the platform for the disenfranchised and the voiceless who feel that the mainstream has cut them out," Farmer said in an interview with the Financial Times. "It is almost like we are an 'anti' company."
One person who liked the sound of that was rapper Kanye West. In 2022 rumors circulated that the rapper was in talks to buy Parler after he was temporarily banned from Instagram and kicked off Twitter for posting hate speech. West praised the platform for giving conservatives a place to be themselves. In October 2022, it was announced that he agreed to buy the app but the deal soon fell through just weeks later. No official reason was given for West's abrupt change of mind.
He comes from a prestigious family
George Farmer is not new to the complicated world of politics. In fact, he practically followed in his famous father's footsteps. Owens' husband is the son of Lord Michael Farmer, a member of the House of Lords in Britain. Michael Farmer got his start as a successful businessman and received the nickname "Mr. Copper" after he amassed his wealth selling base metals. After finding success in business he then ventured into politics and was named a treasurer to the Conservative party. In 2014 he was made a life peer and now frequently donates millions to the party and its political campaigns.
With his riches and political connections, his son grew up in an elite circle. While studying at Oxford University, George had already dipped his toe in politics on campus when he became involved in Oxford's Conservative Association during his freshman year. The controversial group was involved in many scandals, including one involving racism while Farmer was a senior official of the group. Due to the scandals, the group lacked major funding. However, Farmer's famous father opened up his wallet and wrote his son's club a huge check to bail them out.
His relationship with Candace moved quickly
In 2018, love struck George Farmer and Candace Owens. It's no surprise that two people with similar political views would hit it off. The two met at a party for Turning Point UK. According to Owens, after sitting next to each other at dinner, sparks began to fly like a classic rom-com. "He fell in love first, as it should be," she told The Sunday Times in 2019. "It sounds a bit like a movie. And honestly, when I tell the story it doesn't sound real, because it's very anti-Candace, for sure. I just never really thought that I would have a whirlwind romance."
In fact, the whirlwind romance moved so fast Owens recalls only seeing him four times before he popped the question. In this modern love story, Farmer popped the question via FaceTime while on a plane to South Africa. "I FaceTimed her and said, 'How'd you feel about spending the rest of your life with me?' And she said, 'Yes.' And then actually I put a ring on her finger in the middle of February. It was extremely fast. Most people were a little surprised," he explained.
In 2019, the couple married at Trump Winery just eight months after meeting. The couple had their first child, a boy, in early 2021. Then, they had a daughter in the summer of 2022.
He caused controversy while in college
Long before his wife was causing controversy in politics, George Farmer was dealing with troubles of his own. While studying Theology at Oxford University, Farmer and his peers found themselves in the headlines for behavior deemed shameful to the university. Farmer was then a member of the Bullingdon Club, an all-male dining club that once included infamous members like David Cameron and Boris Johnson. The club was known for drunken rowdiness and elitist activities. Despite the toxic reputation, Farmer publicly defended the club and denied any wrongdoings while he was a member. "There were dozens of student dining societies at Oxford. The only reason that one attracts more attention is because of high-profile alumni," he told the outlet.
While a member of the Oxford Conservative Association in 2012, Farmer also caught some heat. It was revealed that he and the club's treasurer skipped out on paying an expensive restaurant bill. Oxford demanded the club no longer associate itself with the university due to their reputation.
He believes fatherhood changed him
George Farmer has spent his life involved in business and politics but he soon found something more important. With now being a father of two, it's no surprise that Farmer views himself as a changed man. In an interview on the "First Class Fatherhood" podcast, the businessman revealed how parenthood has altered his life saying, "I suddenly started thinking about college funds and life insurance and this kind of stuff. It's just like dads and moms have different things they think about, but we're all planning together now to build this family unit for the rest of our lives and that's incredibly rewarding for the two of us."
Farmer also had glowing things to say about his wife's journey to motherhood. He described seeing a more tender side to her after becoming a mother. After giving birth to her daughter in 2022, Owens was outspoken about her birthing experience. She describes how becoming a mother made her even more outspoken about personal issues. "In a way, pregnancy has better focused me ... many of these debates are no longer just political for me—they're personal," Owens said, per Daily Mail. "The stakes seem much higher when you are starting a family. You realize that whatever decisions we land upon as a society will have real implications for your child's future."